Box Score NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (Feb. 8) - Erica Antonison, Grace Murphy and Sam MacMillan each shined in their collegiate debut for Nichols as the Bison fell 21-12 to Smith on Thursday afternoon. Antonison scored six times as Murphy added three and MacMillan netted a pair of goals.

Smith scored the most goals for three years as led by Meaghan Fileti with a career high seven goals as the Pioneers won in the debut of head coach Jen Nardi.

Mckenzie Hessel scored five goals and set up four more as Smith (1-0) pulled away in the second half.  Becky Bracken also scored five for Smith.

MK Pasini opened the scoring a minute into the game when she put home a feed from Jessica Lillquist, and Hessel made it 2-0 on a free position attempt.  The Bison (0-1) evened up the score on unassisted goals from Murphy and Krista-Jean Forand, but Fileti sandwiched two more goals around a Pasini marker for a 5-2 Smith lead.

The Bison drew even at five thanks to a pair of goals from Antonison and one from MacMillan, but would only score one the rest of the half, as Becky Bracken and Hessle netted twice, and goals from Jenny Estes and Fileti sent Smith into the break up 12-6.

Nichols got the first goal of the second half on an Antonison tally, but two more goals from Hessel and one from Petru Bester pushed Smith's advantage to 15-7 with 21 minutes to go.  Murphy stemmed the tide for Nichols, but Smith put the game out of reach by scoring the next six goals, includeing four by Fileti and two by Bracken, for a 21-8 lead.

Antonison scored twice as Nichols netted the final four goals of the game for the final margin.  Alina Pechacek tied a career high with 14 saves for Smith.  Danielle Mott played 53:15 in net for Nichols and made 12 saves, while Jenn Townsend played the final 6:45 and was not called upon to make a save.

Antonison finished with six goals for Nichols, who will host Mass. Maritime on March 21 at 7:00 p.m.  Smith will begin a set of four games away from home, starting with a trip to Western New England University on March 10 at 1:00 p.m.

Box Score

Recap Courtesy Smith Sports Information